(Marion County, FL) In the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Timothy T. McCourt, jurors found 40-year-old Matthew Hand guilty after less than one hour of deliberating. Hand was convicted of Traveling to Meet a Minor and Soliciting a Child for Unlawful Sexual Conduct.

Hand was arrested in December of 2023, following an Ocala Police Department (OPD) investigation.

During an undercover operation, OPD Officer Boyd posed as a 12-year-old female child on an online account. Hand messaged the decoy user and after repeatedly being informed of the minor’s age, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the child.

Hand would later request to meet with the child to engage in sexual activities. Officials then coordinated a time and location to meet Hand, where he was promptly arrested.   

“There is nothing more vile than those who seek to exploit and harm our children,” said Walter Forgie, Fifth Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney. “It’s not only morally reprehensible but it’s illegal and carries hefty consequences.”

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Shanae Pickens. Thank you to OPD Officer Boyd for developing this lead and Detective Blanton for extracting crucial evidence used during the trial.

Published on 11/21/2024.